Planet Gaia
Gaia is a tropical paradise -- a rich, green world of plants and animals -- the likes of which have not been found anywhere else in the Sirius Sector. Until its potential treasure trove of genetic material can be better understood, however, Gaia has been placed under the control of the Cambridge Research Institute. Aside from a very limited number of tourist visas, only Institute researchers are allowed on the planet. Unfortunately, poaching has become prevalent. Rumors of the aphrodisiac qualities of certain animals has generated a tremendous demand among those who can afford to pay for the privilege of sampling. Infocard *DIAMETER: 12,515 KM *MASS: 5.96 x 10e24kg *TERRAIN: Terrestrial *TEMPERATURE: -34 C to 52 C *ESCAPE VELOCITY 11.01 km/sec >>>RESTRICTED<<< The Gaians and the Green Front The Green Front and the Gaians are ecologically-focused movements started in reaction to the reckless pollution ongoing throughout most of Bretonia space. While the Green Front restricts itself to legitimate political activity such as lobbying, protests, agitation and propaganda, the Gaians represent the extreme fringe of the movement, eco-warriors who fly Civilian class starships and attack the ships of companies such as arch-polluter BMM and Planetform. Rumors About Planet Gaia "They say that Gaia is what our long-lost Earth was like about 200 million years ago -- sort of like real-life time travel. There's nothing else like it in the Sirius Sector. The Kusari love it here. Don't know why they need those Bounty Hunters here, too. They're a bunch of crass working-class thugs." - Kenneth Enfield, Gateway Shipping "Gaia is the reason I am here. We have the cruise ship Hawaii in Sigma-19, which offers everything that the Shetland can in terms of luxuries and pleasures, but this planet is unique. I come here every year and explore a different area." - Commander Keiko Ishikawa, Kusari Naval Forces "I like visiting this place. Normally I look out my office window in Leeds and can't see anything green through all of the sulfrous clouds. My company's executive office wants to exploit Gaia much as they did with Leeds, with little or no government foresight. I'm not sure that's such a good idea at this point, given our track record." - Franklin Beeching, BMM "I've seen company documents that described negligible amounts of Cobalt on Gaia. It was a ploy for the government to let us in and begin full-scale strip mining of Aluminum and Titanium, the Basic Alloy metals that we have almost exhausted in Stokes. So, the Gaians and Cambridge researchers were not unfounded in their accusations." - Franklin Beeching, BMM "I'm going on an unofficial hunting expedition tomorrow. I met a Bounty Hunter who says he can find me a blue ground sloth. That would be an interesting addition to the collection of heads in my study." - Franklin Beeching, BMM "I just arrived yesterday. We had a bit of a scare with some Gaians along the Islay Cloud stretch, but the Police Authority soon gave chase. I'm headed down to Gaia this afternoon. We've been promised by a guide that we'll see plenty of grass antelope and white buffalo, and maybe a giant tusked tiger if we're lucky." - Harrison Cawdron, Bowex Category:Planets